Jan
10
Finding the Upside in Injury
The last time I posted an update on my plans, I announced my intentions to run the Austin Marathon in February. Those plans have changed, this time driven by a seemingly minor, but certainly lengthy, injury, which is really the first in my running “career” that has managed to derail me for any longer than a day or two. This injury has taught me several valuable lessons, maybe, in fact, outweighing the value of running any single marathon.
There doesn’t seem to have been a single “defining” moment when this injury occurred, as it was something I discovered over the course of a four-day period in the middle of December (four weeks ago, at this point). It started with a really strong 17.5 mile run with negative splits, run at marathon-pace over the last 9+ miles and finishing with some strides. After a typical Sunday rest day and a long (and snow-challenged) journey to Portland via LAX, I went out early Monday morning to try and do some 1200m intervals along the flat paths bordering the Willamette River. This is where the first signs of the injury started to manifest, though I attributed it to the lengthy travel and little sleep; what I initially described as muscle stiffness resulted in an “easy” 10-mile run where a steady pace proved more difficult to hold than normal.
After taking the redeye back that night (again via LAX), I decided to try and make up for the missed intervals and get some pep in my day by heading out mid-morning from the office on the snowy Cleveland roads for a 5x1200m interval run. Other than the presence of an unexpected steep hill that blew the third interval, this run went well, with solid interval splits – all I reported was a “little stiffness” from what I again presumed was the travel. However, by the following morning, I knew it was a bit more than the travel as I announced an unplanned rest day, with the hopes of returning to running in a few days. It felt like a pull or a strain in some muscle of the posterior.
A few days turned into a week, during which I did manage some cross-training (bike – bad, elliptical – good). I attempted a trial run on Sunday, driven by the debatable perspective of Jack Daniels (the runner, not the adult beverage) that if an injury improves while running, you should keep running. It didn’t improve, so regardless of what you think of the theory, it was clear I was going to be out of the game for a while longer. My suspicion was that the issue was with my piriformis, so I focused my (all too limited) stretching, ice, and massage on that area. However, I didn’t have the general sciatic nerve tingling that indicates piriformis syndrome, so at some point a more expert opinion would be necessary – it’s just that life wasn’t allowing that to happen for a few weeks.
By the following week, I was growing concerned about my ability to meet the training plan for Austin. I was simulating what I could on the elliptical, but the stress about missing two critical long runs was growing, especially recognizing that, given some travel plans by my wife in January, they were going to be impossible to make up. On Christmas Day, I made the decision that I would skip Austin, though I decided not to make it “official” for another week or two in case there was a miraculous improvement.
To my somewhat diminished and somewhat increased frustration, there was only incremental improvement – the injury got to the point where I couldn’t tell during normal activity (except for the most extreme cases of chasing my three young sons) that I was injured, it was only during (and very early during) occasional test runs. The diminished frustration came from letting go of my goals and accepting the reality of the situation – this was a significant coping step in the recovery process. The increased frustration came from the fact that I was injured while on vacation in Marco Island, so missed the mid-winter opportunity to run in a great location with terrific weather. However, I was able to make a passable go of things in the hotel fitness center, on the elliptical trainer and with strength training equipment.
After we returned from vacation, I made an appointment with a pediatric sports medicine doctor recommended by my wife. Sports medicine fellowships are not “age-specific”, so even many pediatric-oriented practitioners see a good number of adults (and, to respond to the jokes dealt out on Dailymile, I did not get a lollipop or to make a withdrawal from the treasure chest, even though I was a very good boy). After exploring the range of pain-free and pained motion, her diagnosis was a strained hamstring, and she has prescribed the physical therapy upon which I am now about to embark.
My haven during the injury storm
I don’t know how much longer this will take, and I have now begun executing the 18 week training plan for Cleveland, using the elliptical to tie me over (and giving thanks every day that my wife bought this for my birthday many years ago, though it remained idle in our basement for much of that time). There will be the temptation to come back too quickly or to push too hard on the elliptical (it still works the hamstring), and I know I will have to fight those urges, so I have already started subtly hedging (internally) my Cleveland Marathon goals and setting my sights more on the Towpath Marathon in the fall as my main objective for the year (and my first sub-3:00 marathon).
So what positive things can a runner draw from injury? First, I’ve always felt that a runner needs to understand their limitations and weaknesses. I thought I was invincible as I continued to ramp up mileage and intensity even in the normally-down time after the Cleveland Fall Classic. It is enlightening to know that I’m not, and this creates a new and interesting challenge in designing and executing appropriate training plans. My wife was quick to remind me that I am no longer (fill in the age less than 30), and of course never will be again. I’m also not surprised to find that my downfall was my hamstring (specifically my left hammy), as it has always been my first-to-fail body part in the marathon (and taken the longest to recover afterward). Achieving a goal while working within restraints is what life (and this blog) is about, so I will enjoy and share the learning process.
Second, I am reminded that every runner is different, and it is futile, even dangerous, to mimic the approaches of someone else without putting them in your own context, and evaluating the risk/reward of adopting new approaches. I don’t know the exact cause of my injury but the element I added on my last pain-free training run was the strides at the end of 17+ miles. I may even be pressed into admitting that something didn’t feel quite right during those strides. They were also done on more of a slope than I had intended, as opposed to a flat surface. I had copied the approach of Steve Speirs, who was trying to improve his finishing capabilities for his already-stellar marathon results – not having enough finishing speed at the end of a marathon is not my biggest problem, so what value could these strides have really added? I don’t even believe that strides are a high-priority drill for most marathoners. From now on, I’ll remember to focus on understanding what I’m trying to accomplish with each run within my grander objectives for the season, design the run appropriately, and avoid straying from the purpose. There is so much advice (often conflicting) that you receive from other runners, or from Runner’s World, Running Times, and the like, that it is only by knowing yourself and your objectives that you can find the 5% that is valuable to YOU and ignore the rest of the noise.
Third, the reminder that one can stay fit without running is immensely encouraging. I’ve always wondered what I would do if I couldn’t run on the roads anymore, as I’ve always hated treadmills and cross-training in general. Maybe it’s modern technology and the fact I can read my Kindle or catch up on Heroes on my iPad (I’m talking the first season, not the garbage that I understand comes later) that has made it more tolerable. I’ve also taken this opportunity to focus on stretching and strength building, and I’m sure my PT work will bring more useful drills for doing so, that will make me a better (and more injury-resistant) runner in the future. I have even managed to lose two pounds while not running and coping with holiday temptations by watching my calorie intake more closely (a learning experience in and of itself – suffice it to say that packing leftovers for lunch, while convenient, is no longer a regular habit).
Fourth, knowing that my weakness is my hamstring will allow me to focus my strength and flexibility training to help offset this issue (perhaps the hamstring is stronger than the other tendons around it). I look forward to physical therapy to help me understand what stretches and strength training will provide the best return on my invested time to make me a more durable and, in the long run, better runner.
Finally, as in any setback, it helps to have a positive mindset, and accept reality as quickly as possible to be able to adjust your expectations. I no longer guess as to when I will be running again, and take it a week at a time. I instead look for the “not so bad” aspects of the injury – that I am still able to cross-train, that it happened in the cold of winter away from my “A” races, that it happened while my wife was out of town and long runs would be a challenge anyway, and that I will learn new exercises that help me overcome my weaknesses. While I’m impatient to get back to running, it is far more manageable than I feared it would be, and if I bump up against (and accidentally slip past) my limitations again, I’ll understand that life goes on and be better able to make adjustments quickly.
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